Model railway switch assembly

ABSTRACT

A model railway switch assembly is provided for the kind in which the switch includes blades or rails depended upon both (a) for controlling which of two track forks a locomotive or train will be delivered onto from a main track section, and (b) for delivering electrical energy selectively through the two track forks to operating instrumentalities on the locomotive and/or the cars. Firm but yielding conductive pressure of both ends of either switch rail with required cooperating rails is assured by making the switch rails independently yieldable so that either rail, seemingly blocked against completion of the switchover operation, may be caused to complete such operation, thereby to establish and maintain the required mechanical and electrical relationships.

United States Patent Edwards et al. Oct. 24, 1972 [54] MODEL RAILWAY SWITCH ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza [72] Inventors: Clarence K. Edwards, 865 Morrison Ass'stam Examiner-mew! Bensch Street; Lawrence D. Edwards, 2816 Rosemont Avenue, both of Medford, Oreg. 97501 Attorney-Clarence M. Crews [57] ABSTRACT A model railway switch assembly is provided for the kind in which the switch includes blades or rails depended upon both (a) for controlling which of two track forks a locomotive or train will be delivered onto from a main track section, and (b) for delivering electrical energy selectively through the two track forks to operating instrumentalities on the locomotive and/or the cars.

Firm but yielding conductive pressure of both ends of either switch rail with required cooperating rails is assured by making the switch rails independently yieldable so that either rail, seemingly blocked against completion of the switchover operation, may be caused to complete such operation, thereby to establish and maintain the required mechanical and electrical relationships.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENfl-inncr 24 1912 SHEET 2 0F 2 /NVENTOR5 CLARENCE K. EDWARDS and LAWRENCE 0. EDWARDS THE/R ATTORNEY 1 MODEL RAILWAY SWITCH ASSEMBLY This invention relates to model railway equipment, and more particularly to track switches.

In model railroading the two rails of a track are commonly connected to the opposite terminals of a battery or transformer, so that current may be provided through the rails for operating the motor of the locomotive in forward or reverse direction, and for operating in forward or reverse direction other instrumentalities carried on the cars.

Where a track is forked or branched, to provide a siding or spur, for example, the right hand rail of the main track may extend continuously through to provide the right .hand rail of the right fork, and the left hand rail of the main track may extend continuously but divergently through to form the left hand rail of the left fork. It is to these principal or main rail sections that the power terminals are constantly connected. The remaining, or secondary,-fixed rail structure starts with a frog or angle, hereinafter referred to as a frog, and includes branches which form, respectively, the left hand rail of the right fork and the right hand rail of the left fork. When the right fork is to be used, this secondary rail structure must be connected electrically through the switch to the left hand principal rail, and when the left fork is to be used, the secondary rail structure must be connected'electrically, through the switch, to the right hand principal rail.

It is an unavoidable characteristic of a switch of this kind, that if the switch is an unitary, rigid structure, and the switch pivot is fixed, the establishment of contact at one end of the switch will block the establishment of contact at the other end of the switch unless the switch is so, precisely designed that the opposite ends of the switch will establish contact simultaneously. This is an extremely exacting, in fact an impractically exacting, requirement.

In our U. S. Pat. No. 3,566,104 this difficulty has been encountered and overcome in a practical and effective way, by biasing the switch pivot yieldingly to a datum position, the construction and arrangement being such that when an end of the switch has been positively blocked against further bodily movement, the switch pivot may yield for permitting completion of the switch movement at the opposite end.

The patented structure is a practical and popular one.

In accordance with the present invention, however, we have provided two distinct but similar and closely related switch assemblies, each of which has all the advantages of the patented arrangement, is more economical to manufacture and install, and can be availed of without modification of solid-backed roadway.

The present invention has to do with these novel arrangements.

In accordance with the invention, the switch pivot, which may be applied from the face of the track, remains fixed, but the completion of the switching operation is permitted, either by making the switch rails themselves resiliently flexible, or by providing for further movement of each switch member relative to the pivot after one end of that switch member has been blocked.

By either of these means it is always possible 1. to throw the switch completely across to a practical operating position for the use of either fork, and

2. to complete the required electrical contact to the secondary track structure for use of the right fork or of the left fork.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a switch assembly involving a practical and advantageous embodiment of the invention, the parts being set with the right fork made active;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 1 with the left fork made active;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, invertedplan view showing particularly a portion of the switch-throwing mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in sectional side elevation of a portion of the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of switch with the right hand fork rendered active;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure of FIG. 5 with the left hand fork rendered active; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the pivot assembly of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, an illustrative forked track assembly is shown generally and in detail, this assembly embodying practical and advantageous features of the invention. The structure actually shown is a unitary piece of equipment, adapted for assembly with other pieces for making up a complete model railroad.

The illustrative structure comprises a one-piece roadbed 10 consisting of crossties 12 and a longitudinally extending solid member 14. The member 14 extends continuously, directly beneath the crossties 12.

The principal rails 16 and 18 are purely conventional, as is the secondary rail structure 20, composed of rail members 21 and 23.

A switch unit 22 comprises rail members 24 and 26, an anchor member 28 which is mounted for rocking movement about a fixed pivot 30, and an l-l-shaped connecting member 32. The member 32 is fixedly attached to the ends of the rail members 24 and 26 remote from the frog formed at the junction of secondary rail members 21 and 23.

Operating means 34 for the switch may be of conventional construction also. As shown, the operating means 34 comprises two alternatively energizable solenoids 36 and 38 and an armature carried on a rod 40.

The rod 40 is formed with a slot 42. An angle lever 44, mounted on a fixed pivot 46, has a drive pin 48 at the end of one arm received in the slot 42. A similar pin 50 at the end of the other arm is received in a slot 52 of a transversely movable actuating member 54, this latter member being pivotally connected to the member 32 at 56. A tension coil spring 58, connected at one end to a fixed anchorage 55 and at the other end to the pin 50, moves across the pivot 46 of the lever 44 as the lever 44 moves from one of its extreme positions to the other, always urging the lever 44 to one or the other of its extreme positions.

As the switch is swung clockwise (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) the rail member 26 engages the frog formed at the junction of rail members 21 and 23 with the switch in the dotted line position 22x of FIG. 1, but the rail member 26 is sufficiently deformable to yield to the tension of spring 58, permitting the switch to continue its clockwise movement to the full line position of FIG. 1, in which the switch member 26 makes firm electrical Similarly, when the switch is swung counterclockwise (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) the switch rail 24 is blocked by the frog with the switch in the dotted line position of FIG. 2, but the rail member 24 is sufficiently deformable to yield to the tension of spring 58, permitting the switch to continue its counter-clockwise movement to the full line position of FIG. 2, in which the switch member 24 makes firm electrical conductive contact both with the frog and with the rail 16.

A battery B isindicated as connected to the principal rails, but this could, of course, be replaced by a transformer, or by'a transformer and rectifier supplied by house current.

For further assuring good electrical communication at the frog, a conductive metallic plate 60 is secured upon the roadbed and beneath the frog. Conductive strips 61 and 63 are secured, respectively, to lower faces of the switch rails 24 and 26, each extending between the plate 60 and the frog, and each extending also between the plate 60 and the switch rail to which it is not attached.

At their actuated ends, the rail members 24a and 26a are pivotally connected to one another and to the actuator 54a through overlapping C-shaped plates 57 and 59 and through an eyelet 56a. The rails 24a and 26a are also yieldably. connected to a fixed pivot member 62 and'to one another through structure shown in detail in FIG. 7. The member 62 resembles an eyelet. It is secured in place on a crosstie by means of a screw 64. The shank of eyelet 62 extends through transverse slots 66 and 68, formed respectively in plates 70 and 72. The plates 70 and 72 are made unitary, respectively, with rails 24a and 26a through soldering or brazing.

The plates 70 and 72 are desirably of identical but inverted construction and the plate'70 overlies the plate 72. A recess 74 of plate 70 coincides with a recess 76 of plate 72, and a tongue 78 of plate 70 directly opposes a tongue'80 of plate 72. A compression coil spring 82 surrounds tongues 78 and 80 at its opposite ends, forcing the rails 24a and 260 as near together as the slot 66 will permit.

When the lever 44a is swung clockwise from the condition of FIG. 6 across its dead center condition, the

switch rails 24a and 26a are swung clockwise substan-v tially in unison until the switch rail 26a is arrested at one end by the frog. The continued force exerted by the spring 58 is effective, however, to overcome the spring 82, forcing the rail 26a to' rock clockwise about the point at which it bears against the frog, and thereby to establish firm and dependable contact with the rail 18a.

When the lever 44a is swung counter-clockwise from the condition of FIG. 5, a like action occurs with reference to switch rail'24a.

As seen in FIGS. and 6, a finger 84, affixed to rail 26a, extends beneath rail 24a and then upward for limiting separation of the ends of rails 24a and 26a with which the finger 84 is associated.

conductive contact both with the frog and with the rail We have described whatwe believe to be the best embodiments of our invention. What we desire to secure by letters patent is set forth in the following claims.

We claimi 1. A model railroad forked track assembly comprising, in combination,

a. first and second principal rail members having parallel portions which form a main track section, but which diverge to form elements of two forked track sections, together with first and second auxiliary, frog-forming, divergent secondary rail members which cooperate, respectively, with the first and second principal rail members to constitute, respectively, distinct, alternatively active forked continuations of the main track section,

. a rail bed supporting all of said rail members in fixed relation with one another,

. a switch unit which includes alternatively active, side by side, first and second wheel bearing rail members, interposed between the main track section portions of the principal rail members and the forked sections, and operable between opposite extreme positions in the first of which the first rail member of the switch bears firmly in wheel sustaining and guiding relation and in electrical conductive relation at its opposite ends, respectively, with the first principal rail member and the frog, and in the other of which the second rail member of the switch bears firmly in wheel sustaining and guiding relation and in electrical conductive relation at its opposite ends, respectively, with the second principal rail member and the frog,

d. a switch operator movable laterally of the track and connected to the switch unit near one extremity thereof, for placing the main track section selectively in communication with one or the other of the forked sections through a pivotal action of the switch,

. a yieldable actuator for constantly urging the switch operator toward either of two opposite extreme positions when the switch is in repose,

f. and means providing a fixed pivot for the switch, the switch being characterized by the fact that, during switch-over, both switch tracks move as a unit about said fixed pivot from the instant when the switch track being rendered inactive leaves engagement with the frog until the switch track being rendered active is blocked by the frog, but that provision is made for yielding of the blocked switch track relative to the pivot and the frog so that firm operative engagement of the blocked switch rail with the required principal rail can be established while engagement of such switch rail with the frog is maintained.

2. A model railroad forked track assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which the yieldability of each switch track is brought about by virtue of the fact that each switch track is. composed of resiliently deformable, conductive metal.

3. A model railroad forked track assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which the yieldability of the switch track members is brought about by means of independent, slotted mounting plates through which the respective switch tracks are mounted on the fixed pivot, and a spring is interposed between the mounting plates which urges the switch tracks yieldingly toward one another at the pivot.

4. A model railroad forked track assembly as set 5 forth in claim 3 in which the mounting plates overlap one another and the interposed spring is a compression coil spring. 

1. A model railroad forked track assembly comprising, in combination, a. first and second principal rail members having parallel portions which form a main track section, but which diverge to form elements of two forked track sections, together with first and second auxiliary, frog-forming, divergent secondary rail members which cooperate, respectively, with the first and second principal rail members to constitute, respectively, distinct, alternatively active forked continuations of the main track section, b. a rail bed supporting all of said rail members in fixed relation with onE another, c. a switch unit which includes alternatively active, side by side, first and second wheel bearing rail members, interposed between the main track section portions of the principal rail members and the forked sections, and operable between opposite extreme positions in the first of which the first rail member of the switch bears firmly in wheel sustaining and guiding relation and in electrical conductive relation at its opposite ends, respectively, with the first principal rail member and the frog, and in the other of which the second rail member of the switch bears firmly in wheel sustaining and guiding relation and in electrical conductive relation at its opposite ends, respectively, with the second principal rail member and the frog, d. a switch operator movable laterally of the track and connected to the switch unit near one extremity thereof, for placing the main track section selectively in communication with one or the other of the forked sections through a pivotal action of the switch, e. a yieldable actuator for constantly urging the switch operator toward either of two opposite extreme positions when the switch is in repose, f. and means providing a fixed pivot for the switch, the switch being characterized by the fact that, during switch-over, both switch tracks move as a unit about said fixed pivot from the instant when the switch track being rendered inactive leaves engagement with the frog until the switch track being rendered active is blocked by the frog, but that provision is made for yielding of the blocked switch track relative to the pivot and the frog so that firm operative engagement of the blocked switch rail with the required principal rail can be established while engagement of such switch rail with the frog is maintained.
 2. A model railroad forked track assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which the yieldability of each switch track is brought about by virtue of the fact that each switch track is composed of resiliently deformable, conductive metal.
 3. A model railroad forked track assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which the yieldability of the switch track members is brought about by means of independent, slotted mounting plates through which the respective switch tracks are mounted on the fixed pivot, and a spring is interposed between the mounting plates which urges the switch tracks yieldingly toward one another at the pivot.
 4. A model railroad forked track assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which the mounting plates overlap one another and the interposed spring is a compression coil spring. 